Bail band for parenteral solution bottles



y 1966 R. M. GROSSMAN ETAL 3,259,262

BAIL BAND FOR PARENTERAL SOLUTION BOTTLES Filed July 2, 1965 INVENTORS: ROBERT M. GROSSMAN WILLlAM S. GARRETT, JR.

ATT'YS United States Patent This invention relates to a bail band particularly suitable for use with standard bottles for blood or other parenteral solutions, although it is to be understood that the invention may be applicable to other uses.

The importance of tightly securing a bail band to a parenteral solution bottle is readily apparent. Such bottles are normally suspended in inverted position above or adjacent a patient as the parenteral fluid is being administered, and the unintentional release of the suspended bottle, as well as the resulting interruption in the ad ministration procedure, would be expected to have serious consequences.

In the past, it has been a common practice to use a bail band having a tongue which is threaded through an opening at the bands opposite end, and which is then bent in a reverse direction, to anchor the ends of the band together and to hold the band in position within a circumferential groove extending about the bottle. Difficulties have been encountered, however, in either mechanically or manually drawing the band tightly enough about the bottle to avoid a loose fit. Unless a tight fit is achieved, there is a possibility that the band may slip out of the groove and off of the bottle. There is also the dnager that forces tending to expand the band which might occur if the band is twisted or pulled outwardly, may cause the tongue to slip back through the opening and release the bottle.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved bail band which overcomes the aforementioned defects and disadvantages of prior band constructions. Specifically, it is an object to provide a band which is self tightening as the tongue is bent in a reverse direction into its locking position, and which therefore insures a tight fit of the band about the parenteral solution bottle. Another object is to provide a bail band having a tongue construction which is more effective than prior constructions in locking and securing the band in tightly fitted condition about a parenteral solution bottle.

Other objects will appear from the specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a bottle equipped with the bail band of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the band in unfastened condition;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary prospective view of the band in fastened condition;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the end portions of the band;

FIGURE 5 is atransverse sectional taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the end portions of the band in an initial step of fastening the band in place upon a bottle;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 6 but illustrating the end portions of the band as the tongue is being bent into a locking position.

Referring to the structure illustrated in FIGURE 1, the numeral 10 generally designates a standard bottle of the type commonly used for blood or other parenteral solutions or fluids. The bottle is provided with a reduced neck 11 and with a conventional closure 12. Adjacent its lower end, the bottle is provided with a circumferential reice cess or groove bordered by spaced shoulders 13 and 14 for recovering the bail band 15.

The ball band 15 is provided with the usual outwardlypressed bosses 16 which are apertured to receive the ends of bail 17. In use, the bottle is inverted, being supported by the bail 17 which is in turn hooked onto the arm of a suitable support.

Band 15 is preferably formed from a fiat, thin strip of a non-brittle or bendable metal, and band being capable of being bent into the conditions illustrated in FIG- URES 2 and 3. The band is of substantially uniform width throughout the major portion of its length and, as indicated in FIGURE 1, a particular width is selected so that the band, when fitted upon a bottle, will be snugly received in the recess between shoulders 13 and 14.

One end of the band, designated by the numeral 18, is provided with an opening 19. As shown most clearly in FIGURE 4, one of the edges 20 defining the opening is straight and extends transversely. While edge 20 might be non-linear, it has been found that the provision of a straight edge is significant in achieving a proper camming actionwhen the band is secured in place, as will be described in detail hereinafter. The other edge 21 of opening 19 is illustrated as being arcuate although other shapes may be provided as long as the opening is of sufiicient size to receive the tongue of the band without at the same time unnecessarily weakening end portion 18. To distinguish between the edges which define the opening, and for purposes of clarification, straight edge 20 may be regarded as the terminal or outer edge of the opening, and edge 21 as the proximate or inner edge.

The opposite end 22 of the band is provided with an integral tongue 23 of reduced width, the maximum width of the tongue being no greater than the width of opening 19. As previously indicated, the band, exclusive of tongue portion 23, is of substantially uniform width so that the band may be snugly received within a bottle recess which is also of the same uniform width; however, in constructions where uniformity of width is not critical, tongue 23 may have a maximum width as great or greater than the reminder of the band and the opposite end portion 18 may be enlarged to provide an opening 19 of a width corresponding to the maximum width of the tongue.

Tongue 26 is tapered and, as shown in FIGURE 4, has a flat inner or proximate portion 23a and a deformed outer or terminal portion 2312. Viewed from the outer surface of the band, the deformation is somewhat triangular in shape with the apex of the triangle at a point 24 defining the limits longitudinally of the adjacent proximate and terminal portions of the tongue. The deformation of terminal portion 23b gives the terminal portion a generally V-shaped cross sectional configuration, as represented in FIGURE 5, and produces a transversely rounded outer surface 25 which slopes outwardly and distally from point 24, as best seen when the tongue is viewed in longitudinal section (FIGURES 6 and 7).

The non-planar shape of terminal portion 23b may be obtained by any suitable stamping operation performed either during or subsequent to the die cutting of the band and the formation of bosses 16. Where the terminal portion is formed or deformed by a stamping or pressing operation, the inside surface of the tongue is recessed or depressed, as represented in FIGURES 3 and 5 by the numeral 26.

The nonplanar configuration of the terminal portion, and particularly the cross sectional deformation of that portion, stiffens the terminal portion against longitudinal fiexure. Bending of the tongue, during the fastening of the band, tends to occur along a transverse line 27 passing through point 24 at the apex of the generally triangular deformation. Because of the dimensioning of the band with respect to a bottle upon which the band is adapted to be fitted, the line of bending 27 is necessarily located at the junction of the proximate and terminal portions 23a and 23b.

Specifically, the length of the band is such that the distance between point 24 and the edge 20 of opening 19 is substantially the same as the circumference of the grooved portion of bottle 10 about which the band is to be fitted. Looseness of fit between the band and bottle is thereby avoided because such looseness could be achieved only if the line of bending passed through terminal portion 23b which, as brought out above, effectively resists such bending because of its transverse deformation. The deformed terminal portion thereby insures an extremely tight fit between the band the bottle when the band is fastened in place with its tongue reversely bent as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3.

The outward deformation of the terminal portion, and particularly the sloping outer surface 25, also produce another important result indicated most clearly in FIG- URES 6 and 7. FIGURE 6 illustrates the band, in longitudinal section, after tongue 23 has been inserted through opening 19 but before the band has been drawn into tight engagement with bottle 10. It will be observed that edge 20 of opening 19 engages sloping surface 25 and, when the tongue is then bent backwardly, as illustrated in FIGURE 7, edge 20 slides along the inclined surface 25 towards the line of bending 27. The inclined surface 25 thereby serves as a camming surface which guides the apertured end of the band into a position which results in an extremely tight fit between the band and bottle when the tongue is fully bent.

After the band is tightly secured about the bottle, forces which might be imposed on the band to enlarge its diameter by retraction of the tongue through opening 19 are effectively resisted because of the stiffened terminal potrion 231). In other words, the tongue cannot creep or slip back through opening 19 by longitudinal displacement of fold line 27 because the deformation of terminal portion 23 prevents endwise displacement of the fold or bend.

While in the foregoing specification, we have shown a specific construction in considerable detail for the purposes of illustrating an embodiment of the invention it will be understood that such details of construction may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. A bail band for parenteral solution bottles comprising a flat strip of bendable metal having an opening adjacent one end thereof and having at its opposite end a tongue receivable in said opening when said band is fitted c'ircumferentially about a parenteral solution bottle, said tongue having a substantially flat proximate portion and a deformed non-planar terminal portion, said terminal portion providing a camming surface sloping outwardly and distally from a point between the tongues proximate and terminal portions, said point being spaced from said opening a distance substantially the same as the circumference of the portion of a bottle about which said band is adapted to be fitted.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which the cross sectional configuration of the tongues terminal portion is generally V-shaped.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said opening is defined in part by a straight transversely-extending edge engageable with said camming surface when said band is fitted about a parenteral solution bottle.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said tongue is bendable along a transverse line passing through said point for the fastening of said band in place about a parenteral solution bottle.

5. A ball band comprising a flat strip of bendable metal having an opening adjacent one end thereof defined in part by a substantially straight transverse distal edge and having at its opposite end a tongue receivable in said opening, said tongue having a substantially fiat proximate portion and a deformed non-planar terminal portion, said terminal portion providing a camming surface sloping outwardly and distally from a point between the tongues proximate and terminal portions, said point being spaced from the distal edge of said opening a distance substantially the same as the circumference of the portion of a container about which said band is adapted to be fitted.

6. The structure of claim 5 in which the cross sectional configuration of the tongues terminal portion is generally V-sha-ped.

7. The structure of claim 5 in which the outline of said deformation is generally triangular-shaped with the apex of said triangle located at said point.

8. In combination with a bottle having a circumferential groove for receiving a bail band, a bail band comprising a strip of bendable metal having a width corresponding to the width of said groove, said strip having an opening adjacent one end thereof and having at its opposite end a tongue received in said opening, said tongue having a substantially flat proximate portion underlying said one end of said strip and having a deformed nonplanar terminal portion, said tongue being reversely bent along a transverse fold line at the junction of said terminal and proximate portions with said terminal portion overlying said one end of the band and said proximate portion, said terminal portion having a generally V-shaped cross sectional configuration commencing at a point at said fold line, said point being spaced from said opening at said one end of said strip a distance substantially the same as the circumference of said bottle along said groove.

9. The structure of claim 8 in which said opening is defined in part by a substantially straight transverselyextending distal edge and said deformed terminal portion of said tongue provides a sloping camming surface engageable with said edge for guiding said one end of the strip towards said fold line as the band is fastened upon said bottle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1933 Baxter.

2/1957 Barr. 

8. IN COMBINATION WITH A BOTTLE HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE FOR RECEIVING A BAIL BAND, A BAIL BAND COMPRISING A STRIP OF BENDABLE METAL HAVING A WIDTH CORRESPONDING TO THE WIDTH OF SAID GROOVE, SAID STRIP HAVING AN OPENING ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF AND HAVING AT ITS OPPOSITE END A TONGUE RECEIVED IN SAID OPENING, SAID TONGUE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PROXIMATE PORTION UNDERLY SAID ONE END OF SAID STRIP AND HAVING A DEFORMED NONPLANAR TERMINAL PORTION, SAID TONGUE BEING REVERSELY BENT ALONG A TRANSVERSE FOLD LINE AT THE JUNCTION OF SAID TERMINAL AND PROXIMATE PORTIONS WITH SAID TERMINAL PORTION OVERLYING SAID ONE END OF THE BAND AND SAID PROXIMATE PORTION, SAID TERMINAL PORTION HAVING A GENERALLY 